Does fermented beet juice support your biome?
Extensive research proves cultured beets can’t be beat.
This isn’t your ordinary probiotic. Such great care has gone into hand-selecting and fermenting this one-of-a-kind blend of ingredients that we can confidently say our new BeetBiotic™ is unbeatable. Lower your blood pressure and restore your gut health at the same time? BeetBiotic™ brings the best of both worlds: high in health-promoting nitrates and powered-up probiotics.
Let us explain…
Beets are the new biotic: It’s the scientific superfood most guts are missing
Why eat beets? Better yet, why add them to a liquid probiotic?
Fermenting beets is nothing new. In Russia and the Ukraine, beet kvass has a rich history as a traditional fermented drink believed to tone the liver and aid in digestion, consumed since the Middle Ages.
It’s taken time, but fermented foods are regaining respect. And yet, beets are still frequently overlooked -- and underestimated. With a bright-red color signifying an extra-high phytochemical content, beets have dozens of documented health benefits. These benefits are amplified when beets are fermented.1
As numerous studies show:
● Beets are chock-full of nutrients. These include folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, zinc, and vitamins A and C. The potassium in beets beats that of a banana and can help optimize levels of this essential electrolyte to support regular heart and muscle function.2
● Beets balance blood pressure. For beet lovers, this is a biggie. Drinking just a glass of beetroot juice a day may notably decrease blood pressure. Study participants have seen results within an hour, with the greatest reduction seen 3 to 4 hours after beetroot is ingested.3
● Beets boost performance. A recent study showed that consuming large amounts of beetroot juice helped competitive cyclists score better times by enabling the muscles to absorb more oxygen.4 Drinking beetroot juice before a workout could also improve cognition, making an older adult’s brain operate like a younger brain.5
● Beets promote heart failure recovery. Drinking beetroot doesn’t just benefit athletes. It can also improve exercise output, even when a heart is failing. According to newer studies, heart failure patients who supplement beetroot may see great increases in oxygen uptake and exercise power/duration.6 Similar results are seen in COPD patients.7
● Fermented beets become more powerful. Beets are high in sugar. But the fermentation process helps counteract these natural sugars, upping the probiotic power of beets. Lactofermenting beetroot — fermenting with friendly Lactobacillus bacteria — turns it into a microbe-activating functional food with diverse health benefits.8
Beets also increase levels of the key signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO), which works as a vasodilator. This explains why beets may have such a profound impact on blood pressure, with effects that are seen fairly fast.
Hello, NO: Beetroot benefits blood pressure, brain function & immunity
You’ll have a hard time finding a higher source of dietary nitrates than what you’ll find in beets. Nitrates are the natural chemicals your body converts into nitric oxide, the vasodilating compound that enhances circulation and allows blood vessels to relax.
Not only that, but this boost in blood flow also positively affects nutrient and oxygen transport, immune function, detoxification, wound healing, and the health of the lungs and the brain.9-11
Because of their concentrated nitrate content, beets are packed with productivity-promoting benefits. A high-nitrate diet rich in beetroot juice is able to increase blood flow to certain regions of the brain in charge of attention and self-regulation. Researchers also observed that it’s the nitrates, when consumed before exercise, that makes older brains act younger.5
To increase your circulating levels of nitric oxide, take a few deep breaths and then reach for a fermented beet. Both of these actions are proven to strengthen immunity.12,13 New research reinforces that dietary nitrates – the ones converted to NO -- modulate immune cells and inflammation. So, NO helps improve two critical factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease: chronic inflammation and poor immunity.
When you’re low on NO, watch out: A lack of nitric oxide can increase your risk of a collection of health problems, including high blood pressure and cholesterol, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes.14-17
What happens when friendly bacteria, beets, maqui berry & fennel meet
Fermenting beets is one way to enhance their benefits. So is adding in the support of a superfruit and a medicinal seed.
Maqui berry is: a powerful superfruit revered by indigenous Chilean people. This deep purple berry is considered a sacred plant, primarily used to promote stamina and healing. Natives relied on maqui berry to alleviate pain, infection, ulcers, inflammation, and even diabetes. Modern research supports many of these uses.
Fennel seed is: a warming seed high in nitrates, traditionally consumed in India for medicinal purposes. Natively found in the Mediterranean, fennel’s earliest uses may be traced back to ancient Greece. Fennel is also cultivated in northern India, commonly taken to relieve pain, fever, swelling, and indigestion and support breast milk production.
When combined with a blend of fermented beets and protein-rich pulses and grain-like seeds, maqui berry and fennel become gut-ready and better able to deliver their benefits. Studies prove maqui berry can improve eye, heart, and gut health, also regulating blood pressure and inflammation.18,19 Fennel, too, helps stabilize blood pressure, appetite, and digestion.20
We got the beet: The 3 Bs for boosting energy & bringing back balance
Just a few ounces of BeetBiotic a day can make a world of difference. Big changes can happen in three steps:
Breathe
If you haven’t taken probiotics lately, you may be starting at square one. Even if you have, your gut may have yet to experience the unique benefits of fermented beets, supported by maqui berry and fennel seed. Breathe deeply throughout the day to elevate your NO levels and then begin to repair your gut microbiome with powerful probiotics and nitrate-rich beets.
Build
This is the fun part where you experiment, enjoy, and get to know your beets. While BeetBiotic™ makes a great daily probiotic power shot, it can be so much more. Use it as a mixer in your favorite smoothie or cocktail. Drink just 3 ounces for a pre-workout energy or a post-workout reboot. Befriend your BeetBiotic™ and build a foundation of good gut health to last a lifetime.
Blossom with a biome-boost.
It’s not hard to guess what comes next: When you inoculate your gut with a daily dose of beneficial bacteria, you’ll equip it with the lifeforce it needs to start healing. While you may see digestive symptoms lessen or disappear, your immune system should become more robust. Many members of the Body Ecology community with health problems have reported significant relief. Restore gut balance and watch your health — and energy — blossom.
May we suggest: A few fun uses for your BeetBiotic™
❖ Daily support.
Aim to drink 2 to 3 ounces per day as a probiotic power shot, to support good gut health and for maintenance.
❖ Anytime pick-me-up.
Drink as needed and as desired throughout the day, especially before and after activity. Keep it on hand to beat that 2 o’clock slump and avoid reaching for sugary snacks for energy.
❖ Revitalizing mixer.
Add BeetBiotic™ to a smoothie, mocktail or cocktail, mineral water, kefir, salad dressing, and more for an energy boost or to calm digestive troubles. Use it to inoculate your next batch of cultured veggies.
It’s still a great idea to culture your own beets. But when time is scarce, you can enjoy the same tart-but-sweet taste, plus all the added benefits of beets, with a powered-up liquid probiotic. Don’t wait to transform your health. You can start nurturing your gut microbiome — and your brain and every cell in your body — right now.
References:
1. Melini F, Melini V, Luziatelli F, Ficca AG, Ruzzi M. Health-Promoting Components in Fermented Foods: An Up-to-Date Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1189. Published 2019 May 27. doi:10.3390/nu11051189.
2. Skogestad J, Aronsen JM. Hypokalemia-Induced Arrhythmias and Heart Failure: New Insights and Implications for Therapy. Front Physiol. 2018;9:1500. Published 2018 Nov 7. doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.01500.
3. A. J. Webb, N. Patel, S. Loukogeorgakis, M. Okorie, Z. Aboud, S. Misra, R. Rashid, P. Miall, J. Deanfield, N. Benjamin, R. MacAllister, A. J. Hobbs, A. Ahluwalia. Acute Blood Pressure Lowering, Vasoprotective, and Antiplatelet Properties of Dietary Nitrate via Bioconversion to Nitrite. Hypertension, 2008; 51 (3): 784 DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.107.103523.
4. Rokkedal-Lausch T, Franch J, Poulsen MK, Thomsen LP, Weitzberg E, Kamavuako EN, Karbing DS, Larsen RG. Chronic high-dose beetroot juice supplementation improves time trial performance of well-trained cyclists in normoxia and hypoxia. Nitric Oxide. 2019 Apr 1;85:44-52. doi: 10.1016/j.niox.2019.01.011. Epub 2019 Jan 24. PMID: 30685420.
5. Meredith Petrie, W. Jack Rejeski, Swati Basu, Paul J. Laurienti, Anthony P. Marsh, James L. Norris, Daniel B. Kim-Shapiro, Jonathan H. Burdette. Beet Root Juice: An Ergogenic Aid for Exercise and the Aging Brain. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 2016; glw219 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glw219.
6. Andrew R. Coggan, Seth R. Broadstreet, Kiran Mahmood, Deana Mikhalkova, Michael Madigan, Indra Bole, Soo Park, Joshua L. Leibowitz, Ana Kadkhodayan, Deepak P. Thomas, Dakkota Thies, Linda R. Peterson. Dietary Nitrate Increases VO 2 peak and Performance but Does Not Alter Ventilation or Efficiency in Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction. Journal of Cardiac Failure, 2018; 24 (2): 65 DOI: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2017.09.004.
7. Michael J. Berry, Nicholas W. Justus, Jordan I. Hauser, Ashlee H. Case, Christine C. Helms, Swati Basu, Zachary Rogers, Marc T. Lewis, Gary D. Miller. Dietary nitrate supplementation improves exercise performance and decreases blood pressure in COPD patients. Nitric Oxide, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.niox.2014.10.007.
8. Klewicka E, Zduńczyk Z, Juśkiewicz J, Klewicki R. Effects of Lactofermented Beetroot Juice Alone or with N-nitroso-N-methylurea on Selected Metabolic Parameters, Composition of the Microbiota Adhering to the Gut Epithelium and Antioxidant Status of Rats. Nutrients. 2015;7(7):5905-5915. Published 2015 Jul 16. doi:10.3390/nu7075260.
9. Tripathi P. Nitric oxide and immune response. Indian J Biochem Biophys. 2007 Oct;44(5):310-9. PMID: 18341206.
10. Sahiner UM, Birben E, Erzurum S, et al. (2011). Oxidative Stress in Asthma. World Allergy Organ J4, 151–158. https://doi.org/10.1097/WOX.0b013e318232389e.
11. Angelis, D., Savani, R. & Chalak, L. Nitric oxide and the brain. Part 1: Mechanisms of regulation, transport and effects on the developing brain. Pediatr Res (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-020-1017-0.
12. Kochupillai V, Kumar P, Singh D, Aggarwal D, Bhardwaj N, Bhutani M, Das SN. Effect of rhythmic breathing (Sudarshan Kriya and Pranayam) on immune functions and tobacco addiction. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2005 Nov;1056:242-52. doi: 10.1196/annals.1352.039. PMID: 16387692.
13. Raubenheimer K, Bondonno C, Blekkenhorst L, Wagner KH, Peake JM, Neubauer O. Effects of dietary nitrate on inflammation and immune function, and implications for cardiovascular health. Nutr Rev. 2019 May 30:nuz025. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuz025. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 31150091.
14. Ahluwalia A, Gladwin M, Coleman GD, et al. Dietary Nitrate and the Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Disease: Report From a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Workshop. J Am Heart Assoc. 2016;5(7):e003402. Published 2016 Jul 6. doi:10.1161/JAHA.116.003402.
15. Velmurugan, S., Gan, J.M., Rathod, K.S., et al. (2016). Dietary nitrate improves vascular function in patients with hypercholesterolemia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Am J Clin Nutr, Jan;103(1):25-38.
16. Mark E. Sullivan, Cecil S. Thompson, Michael R. Dashwood, Masood A. Khan, Jamie Y. Jeremy, Robert J. Morgan, Dimitri P. Mikhailidis, Nitric oxide and penile erection: Is erectile dysfunction another manifestation of vascular disease?, Cardiovascular Research, Volume 43, Issue 3, August 1999, Pages 658–665, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-6363(99)00135-2.
17. Tessari P, Cecchet D, Cosma A, et al. Nitric oxide synthesis is reduced in subjects with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy. Diabetes. 2010;59(9):2152-2159. doi:10.2337/db09-1772.
18. Tanaka J, Kadekaru T, Ogawa K, Hitoe S, Shimoda H, Hara H. Maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis) and the constituent delphinidin glycoside inhibit photoreceptor cell death induced by visible light. Food Chem. 2013 Aug 15;139(1-4):129-37. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.01.036. Epub 2013 Jan 29. PMID: 23561088.
19. Cassidy A, O'Reilly ÉJ, Kay C, Sampson L, Franz M, Forman JP, Curhan G, Rimm EB. Habitual intake of flavonoid subclasses and incident hypertension in adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Feb;93(2):338-47. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.110.006783. Epub 2010 Nov 24. PMID: 21106916; PMCID: PMC3021426.
20. Bae J, Kim J, Choue R, Lim H. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) Tea Drinking Suppresses Subjective Short-term Appetite in Overweight Women. Clin Nutr Res. 2015;4(3):168-174. doi:10.7762/cnr.2015.4.3.168.
